Peter Thiel and Ross Douthat Discuss AI

Is there a link between AI and the Antichrist?: Peter Thiel & Ross Douthat discuss. #bible #humanity

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IAVz7NbtaT8

Peter Thiel amassed his wealth primarily through entrepreneurial ventures, strategic investments, and venture capital. Below is a concise overview of how he built his fortune:

1. Co-founding PayPal: Thiel co-founded Confinity in 1998 with Max Levchin and Luke Nosek, which developed PayPal, a digital payment platform. After merging with Elon Musk’s X.com, PayPal went public in 2002, and eBay acquired it for $1.5 billion. Thiel’s stake earned him approximately $55-$100 million, with $28.5 million from shares in his Roth IRA purchased at $0.001 per share.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thiel)[](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/ceos/peter-thiel-net-worth/)[](https://www.ccn.com/news/business/peter-thiel-net-worth-explained/)

2. Early Investment in Facebook: In 2004, Thiel made a $500,000 angel investment in Facebook for a 10.2% stake, becoming its first outside investor. He sold most of his shares over time, netting over $1 billion, with significant tax-free gains through his Roth IRA.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thiel)[](https://www.fool.com/investing/how-to-invest/famous-investors/peter-thiel/)[](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/ceos/peter-thiel-net-worth/)

3. Co-founding Palantir Technologies: In 2004, Thiel co-founded Palantir, a data analytics firm, with Alex Karp and others. Palantir went public in 2020, and Thiel’s 4% stake, held directly and through entities like Thiel Capital, significantly boosted his wealth, with the company valued at over $300 billion by 2025.[](https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/peter-a-thiel/)[](https://www.fool.com/investing/how-to-invest/famous-investors/peter-thiel/)

4. Founders Fund and Venture Capital: Thiel co-founded Founders Fund in 2005, a venture capital firm that invested in high-growth startups like SpaceX, Airbnb, LinkedIn, Spotify, and Stripe. His 42.5% stake in the firm, managing $27.7-$32.5 billion in assets, has generated substantial returns.[](https://www.capitalism.com/peter-thiels-net-worth/)[](https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/peter-a-thiel/)[](https://www.ccn.com/news/business/peter-thiel-net-worth-explained/)

5. Roth IRA Strategy: Thiel turned a $2,000 Roth IRA contribution in 1999 into $5 billion by 2021 by investing in pre-IPO shares of PayPal, Facebook, and other startups. This tax-free growth, enabled by a self-directed Roth IRA, significantly amplified his wealth.[](https://www.propublica.org/article/lord-of-the-roths-how-tech-mogul-peter-thiel-turned-a-retirement-account-for-the-middle-class-into-a-5-billion-dollar-tax-free-piggy-bank)[](https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/in-just-25-years-peter-thiel-turned-2000-into-at-least-1-billion-tax-free-heres-how/91035124)[](https://smartasset.com/retirement/peter-thiel-5-billion-no-taxes-roth-ira)

6. Other Investments and Thiel Capital: Before PayPal, Thiel founded Thiel Capital Management in 1996 with $1 million from friends and family, investing in early-stage ventures. He also made profitable investments in companies like Yelp, Zynga, and Bullish Global, though he faced losses, such as with Clarium Capital during the 2008 financial crisis.[](https://www.reddit.com/r/PeterThiel/comments/18p7yzo/where_did_thiel_get_his_very_first_money/)[](https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/peter-a-thiel/)[](https://history-computer.com/peter-thiel-complete-biography/)

Thiel’s wealth, estimated at $15-$23 billion as of 2025, stems from his ability to identify and invest in transformative tech companies early, leveraging his network, contrarian investment philosophy, and tax-advantaged vehicles like the Roth IRA. His strategic positioning as a connector of capital and ideas, rather than traditional labor, further amplified his success.[](https://medium.com/%40moneytent/how-peter-thiel-made-10-billion-without-working-the-billionaire-mindset-7c4e370c6d2c)[](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/ceos/peter-thiel-net-worth/)